Pakistan government on Thursday made a U-turn on its plans to import sugar and cotton from India and said that there can be no normalisation of ties with New Delhi until it reverses its decision in 2019 to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

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Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said that Prime Minister Khan, who chaired the first Cabinet meeting after testing COVID-19 positive on March 20, "made (it) clear (that) there can be no normalisation of relations with India until they reverse their actions viz Kashmir of August 5, 2019. Later, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a video message said that the Cabinet discussed the issue of import of cotton and sugar from India.

This came a day after, the Economic Coordination Committee under newly appointed Finance Minister Hammad Azhar on Wednesday decided to import the two key items from India, lifting a nearly two-year-long ban on their import from the neighbouring country.

Azhar's announcement on Wednesday to import cotton and sugar from India had raised hopes of a partial revival of bilateral trade relations, which were suspended after the August 5, 2019 decision of New Delhi to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Last month, the two nations decided to restore the ceasefire on the Line of Control. It was followed by an exchange of letters by the prime ministers of the two countries.

(With inputs from PTI)

(Edited by : Aditi Gautam)

First Published:Apr 1, 2021 9:24 PM IST